


I'm Here For You, Always

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Drama, Episode Related, First Time, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-27
Updated: 2006-03-27
Packaged: 2019-02-02 18:42:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12732123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: Steven Rayner contacts Daniel and asks for his help in explaining and cleaning up a situation that has resulted from the things that happened in The Curse. Jack, feeling lots of guilt for not being there for Daniel during The Curse, insists on going with him to Egypt.





	I'm Here For You, Always

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

"Doctor Jackson? Outside line for you, from a Dr. Steven Raynor."

Jack looked up at the SF who was making the announcement, then looked over at Daniel. The younger man had stiffened at the name, his hands automatically moving into self-hug mode.

"Could you have them send it up here?" Daniel asked politely.

"Yes, Sir."

"Steven Raynor, Daniel? Who's he, and how does he know where to find you?" Jack asked his friend, concern obvious in his voice at Daniel's tense reaction.

Carter answered. "Dr. Raynor was the archeologist who was hurt by Sar... uh, Osiris before she escaped in the teltak, Colonel."

"That was when you threw out the battery of your cell phone to insure we stayed fishing in Minnesota, O'Neill. We were not able to help DanielJackson stop Osiris."

Jack flushed, throwing a look of annoyance at Teal'c. He didn't like to be reminded of that incident. He still felt guilty at not being there for Daniel when he was needed. When Jack O'Neill felt guilty, he got grumpy at the cause of the guilt trip. In this case, it was Teal'c because he had brought it up in the first place.

"There wasn't anything you two could have done, Teal'c. It all happened way too fast for that; Osiris had blended with Sarah before I even got there." Daniel soothed, glancing at Jack quickly, blue eyes hooded. He still hadn't forgiven Jack for hanging up on him that day. Daniel had needed Jack, and he hadn't been there for him.

The phone rang, and Daniel picked it up like it was a diseased thing. Only Jack noticed the sigh the archeologist expelled before he spoke.

"Jackson."

"Steven. Hello." Daniel listened a while, his face closed and expressionless.

"You're actually requesting my help? That's a change, isn't it? Besides, I thought you were writing a new best seller, not supervising an archeological dig in Egypt. After what happened on your last try, I would have thought you'd given up on Egypt for a while."

Daniel pulled the phone away from his ear a bit as the volume on the other end increased. When it finally died down, he brought it back and said, "I'm really busy with the work I'm doing with the Air Force, Steven. Surely there's someone else available with the qualifications you need?"

"No? Listen, I'll speak with my superiors about it. Give me your number, I'll call you later. Yeah. Bye." Daniel wrote the number down on a pad handed to him by Sgt. Davis.

Jack was watching his archeologist closely. Who ever this Raynor guy was, he was upsetting Daniel more than a bit. 

"Daniel?"

"Can we go talk with the General, Jack? I need to tell both of you what Steven said to me. It has to do with what happened with Osiris."

It wasn't long before both of them were seated before General Hammond.

"General, Steven Raynor called me a few minutes ago and asked for my help with a project related to the incident we had with Osiris. The Egyptian government wasn't happy with the disappearance of one of their smaller pyramids after Osiris left. But when the teltak left, several more chambers were uncovered that had been buried beneath it for many centuries. They found more artifacts, tablets and scrolls with a form of hieroglyphics that only a few scholars know how to read."

"I gather you are one of the few?" Jack asked, teasing. Of course Daniel was one of the few. His archeologist just loved old things. The Colonel almost sighed. He wished that Daniel would look a little closer to this century and to an old thing that was still living, not dead. 

/Can it, Jack. You aren't in a position to want that. Even if Daniel could be interested in another guy, he could have anyone he wanted. Why would he want a broken-down old fly boy who would be risking his career to be with him?/

Daniel nodded. "Yes. But that's not why he's asked for me. Steven wants me to do it because he's afraid. He knows the story we told him wasn't the entire truth. He knows that Sarah wasn't herself at the end. He's a decent archeologist, but even with an ego the size of Chicago like Steven has, he knows that this is out of his league."

"Doctor Jackson, I'm not sure I can spare you for the time you would need to go on this dig. You're an invaluable member of my staff, and it would be difficult to do without your expertise for a prolonged length of time."

"I'd have to agree with the General, Daniel. We couldn't do without you for the time a dig would require." /More importantly, *I* can't do without you for that long./

"I understand. My only concern is that there might be another Goa'uld in stasis in one of the canopic jars they've found. Steven said they're similar in design as the two that contained Osiris and Isis."

"Could you go there for the time needed to determine whether or not that was the case, son? Once the artifacts are cleared, they wouldn't require your presence any longer."

"That's a good idea, General. Steven's desperate, and he's scared that something weird might happen again. I can hear it in his voice. I think I can convince him to agree."

"Well I *don't* agree."

Daniel and the General looked over at O'Neill, surprised by how cross he sounded.

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"You don't agree?" The archeologist prompted.

"Yeah. I don't agree that you go alone. I'm going with you."

"Colonel, I'm not sure that I can afford to lose my second in command as well as my head of Archeo-Linguistics for the time this might take."

"General, with Daniel gone, SG-1 will be down anyway. How long will it take you to screen out any danger, Daniel?"

"Depending on how many artifacts and scrolls there are, no more than four days, I think, to rule out any Goa'uld influence. I can do the detailed translation work from video and still shots once I'm back and send those results to Dr. Raynor."

"See, General Hammond? Teal'c can go see his family, Carter can do that gate diagnostic she's been grumbling about never having the time to do, and Daniel and I can go to hot, sandy, flea-bitten Egypt. I'll protect his six and make sure nothing gets messed up, like I should have done the first time."

Daniel heard in that statement and saw in Jack's brown eyes the Colonel's apology for not being there when his friend needed him. His lips curled up a bit as he said, "I think that might not be a bad idea, General. Having Jack there to watch my six in case there are more Goa'uld artifacts would be reassuring. Besides, I'm used to having him around bothering me when I'm trying to do archeological work. Things wouldn't be quite the same without that."

O'Neill made a "Who, moi?" facial expression, and the General looked down and smiled to himself.

"Well, then I suggest you both finish up what you're working on now, and make arrangements to go to Egypt."

* * *

They took a commercial flight to Egypt. Jack wriggled, grimacing at the growing pain in his bad knee from being stuck in the too-small area of coach seating for the ten hour trip.

Daniel looked away from the tome he had on his lap and over at O'Neill. "Jack, are you all right?"

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"I suppose the fact that you're wriggling around and groaning while trying to stretch out your bad knee gave me the idea."

Daniel was the only person Jack had ever felt comfortable admitting any weakness to. Even Sara had been the recipient of the Colonel's tough guy act for most of the time they were married. The only reason Daniel had gotten through the mask was because the archeologist was a stubborn son of a bitch who wouldn't let things go. In the end, Jack had finally stopped trying to hang tough around his friend.

"Yeah, it never does well when it's crammed into too small a space for a long time. You think the Air Force would have splurged and let us go first class with as many times as we've saved the world!"

Daniel ignored the complaint, though privately he agreed with his friend. "Do you have any Advil with you?"

"In my suitcase."

"The one in the baggage deck."

"Yeah."

Daniel signaled the stewardess. When she came over, she obviously liked the looks of the handsome archeologist, and smiled a big grin. She was Egyptian, O'Neill assumed.

"May I help you, Sir?"

Daniel spoke in Arabic, and she smiled even wider, finally turning to go back to the kitchen area when they finished their conversation.

"What'd you say to her?"

"I asked her to get you a towel full of ice for your knee, otherwise she would have to deal with an extremely crabby Air Force Colonel for the rest of the trip."

"Thanks a lot, Daniel."

He smiled at Jack. "You're welcome." He added next, "Let me massage it a little first, before the ice comes. That's all it needs, a little stimulation."

"Uh, I'm not so sure that's such a good idea..."

/Great. Daniel doesn't realize that there's another part of me that would just love some stimulation from him. A part that will jump at even the hint of stimulation! Got to keep him away from that part./

Unfortunately, Daniel didn't wait for Jack's consent. 

"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about anyone we know seeing me touching you like this Jack, since we're on a plane to Egypt. Just let me do what's necessary, okay?"

The archeologist started gently massaging the slightly swollen and aching knee nearest to him. Strong fingers worked small circles around the swollen area, bringing heat and blood back into it. His leg and shoulders touched Jack's as he leaned into the massage. Jack felt the tingling as Daniel touched him, groaning as pressure was released from the tendons and ligaments. Forget arguing. This was making a hell of a difference with the pain!

"That's great Daniel. Right there. Yeah."

The archeologist obliged him by continuing, finally moving his hands up the knee to mid thigh to work on the muscles that supported the knee. Jack felt a heat building from his knee and moving upward with the touching. His groin registered the stimulation down below, and decided get in on the action. As he felt his dick start to swell, Jack reluctantly reached over and stopped Daniel's hands.

"The lady's coming with the ice pack. It probably wouldn't be a good idea for her to see you with your hands there, Daniel." Before he could stop himself, he added, "Not that I mind having your hands there or anything like that."

/Shit! I can't believe I said that to him! Kicking 'don't ask, don't tell' right out the window there, O'Neill?/

Daniel noticed Jack's blush, and he had also noticed the Colonel's physical response to his touching. He smiled a bit, looking up through his eyelashes at his friend, and decided to send out a feeler.

"Any time, Jack, any time. Happy to massage whatever body part you want me to do. Just let me know, okay?"

The blush got darker red, and Daniel had to bite his lip in order not to smile at how embarrassed Jack was acting in response to his friend's flirting.

Once the ice in the towel was settled to Daniel's satisfaction, the archeologist tried to return his attention to his book. The long night getting ready to leave the SGC caught up with him, however. Soon his eyelids were drooping and he fell into a light sleep.

Jack didn't say anything when Daniel's sleeping head fell against his shoulder. He just looked over to make sure his friend was comfortable. To tell the truth, he kind of liked the pressure of Daniel's head lying so trustingly against his shoulder like that. He quietly motioned the stewardess to take the ice pack and to give him some blankets to cover himself and Daniel with. After he had the younger man covered in the blanket, he draped one over himself as well, figuring he should try to sleep.

O'Neill had actually dozed off when he was awakened abruptly by the feel of a hand slipping around his waist. In his sleep, Daniel's arm had moved of its own accord to hug Jack. Not that he minded, really. Jack just patted Daniel's hand fondly and tried to sleep again. 

All sleepiness fled instantly when Daniel moaned Jack's name into his ear, and the hand holding him moved down to stroke his crotch!

"Uh, Daniel?" Jack took Daniel's hand in his own, stopping the distracting stroking.

"Wha? Jack?" The archeologist's hand pulled away like he'd been burned. "Shit, Jack, I'm sorry. I must have been dreaming, or something."

"Or something? Hey, it's okay, if a little distracting." He couldn't help it. Jack grinned at Daniel's red face. "Started me into a nice dream though. Almost a shame I woke up."

"Oh, Jack, stop it! You're just trying to embarrass me more."

"You're so serious all the time, sheesh! Daniel, what you did in your sleep, well, it happens sometimes, so forget about it, okay?"

The archeologist smiled, and Jack felt his breath stop in his throat from the beauty of Daniel's rare smile. 

"Okay, Jack. Thanks." The blue eyes turned mischievous. "It was a nice dream, though. It's a shame it had to end."

Now it was the Colonel's turn to blush again from the archeologist's teasing. Daniel didn't know that Jack had heard his name spoken when the archeologist was dreaming. 

It was a very long flight after that. Jack didn't sleep a wink, and couldn't get thoughts of Daniel having a sexy dream about him out of his head. The archeologist slept for most of the time, blissfully unaware that he had turned his friend's life completely upside-down.

* * *

Jack disliked Dr. Steven Raynor on sight. He hated the fact that the man was handsome, young, fit, and obviously had a long history with Daniel. He got especially pissed when Raynor took Daniel's arm as he steered them out of the airport in Cairo and over to the hired Jeep.

/Get your fucking hands off of him, asshole! Danny hates to be touched by anyone. Except *me*, of course./ 

It was all Jack could do to keep from pulling the two men apart and placing his body between them. Daniel's discomfort at Raynor's possessive touch was obvious to the Colonel because of his archeologist's tensed up shoulders and hunched neck. 

What he finally did was move in front of the two archeologists before they left the airport, put his arm up to bar their way forward, and said gruffly, "I'll go first, and Raynor, move away from Daniel so you two don't make a big fat target."

"Oh for God's sake, Daniel! Did you have to bring this... this paranoid military Neanderthal with you?"

Relieved to be out of Raynor's clutches, Daniel snapped without thinking, "Colonel O'Neill isn't a Neanderthal, Steven. He's a military expert at terrorist risk assessment. It's his job to protect me while I'm here, and both he and I take that responsibility very seriously. The work I've been doing for the Air Force puts me at risk here in the Middle East. If you don't like it, then we can turn around and fly back to the States, you know."

The other archeologist gave Jack a dirty look, but didn't respond.

Jack smiled at Daniel, raising his eyebrow and glancing over at Raynor in a "What's eating him" look. Daniel shook his head, but smiled a bit back.

Another beef came up between Raynor and O'Neill when Jack stated that he would be driving. This time, the dark-haired scientist got right into the Colonel's face. They were almost the same size, though Raynor was a few inches shorter than Jack.

"It's my rental, O'Neill. I'm driving."

"No, I'm the one trained in military defensive driving techniques, Raynor, and was driving in the Middle East since well before the two of you left college. I'm driving. Keys. Now!" He barked the final order, and such was the natural power of the Colonel that the other man handed them over immediately.

After they were all in the car, Daniel, who was seated next to Jack in the front seat, said mildly, "You'll learn, Steven. It's easier just to obey Colonel O'Neill when he gets like this."

Jack had to smile at that as he skillfully negotiated the chaotic main street leaving the airport. "You never follow your own advice, Daniel."

Daniel smiled back. "I do too, Jack. When I feel like it. I do have to keep you on your toes, you know."

* * *

The ride out to the dig site took four hours, with the last quarter of that over rutted dirt roads that had them bouncing all over the place. There were five tents up, two sleeping tents, a storage tent, a latrine and shower tent, and a combination mess/artifact cleaning tent. From what Jack could see, there were four other people working on the dig, all of Arabic descent.

They were introduced to the Egyptian Department of Antiquities representative, Dr. Hasim Bel-Aziz and the three skilled laborers from the local town.

After that, Raynor threw another glare at Jack as he said, "I was going to just have you share my tent, Daniel, but there isn't room for three in there. I'll bunk with Hasim, and you two can have my tent, since I assume Colonel O'Neill won't allow you to share separate quarters, for your *protection*."

/What the hell does he mean by that?/ Jack shrugged, hiding his annoyance at the younger man for the moment. "Can't watch his six if I'm not in the same tent, Raynor. Come on, Danny, let's stow our stuff away before you get buried in dirt, okay?"

"Okay, Jack." Daniel rather meekly followed Jack into the quickly vacated tent, letting out a sigh once they were alone.

"I'm really glad you were so pushy about coming along, Jack. I really didn't want to share a tent with Steven."

Jack didn't like the sound of Daniel's voice at all. Besides, *he* was never pushy! "It's obvious that the two of you have major history, Daniel. Ya want to let me in on it so I know what to expect?"

Blue eyes turned to him. "Not really, no. But I'd better, given Steven's attitude so far. Steven and I were, um, we were lovers very briefly after Sarah dumped me. I was on the rebound, and Steven was there. He kind of overwhelmed my defenses. In a way, it was lucky I became an academic pariah right after that. Steven didn't want to tarnish his name, so he backed off before I had to ask him to do it."

"You like being with men, Daniel?"

"Shit this is embarrassing, parading my love life out in front of my commanding officer. I'm bisexual, Jack."

"I'm your friend, as well as your CO, Daniel. Did you think I would get down on you for it?" Jack asked gently.

"I ... I wasn't sure, Jack. I didn't think you were a homophobe, but I didn't want to risk losing your friendship by telling you. Only with the way Steven is acting, it's pretty obvious that he wants to start things up again. He can be pretty overwhelming when he wants something. He probably didn't like me rescuing him from Osiris, and wants to try dominating me again by coming on to me to feed his ego."

"Yeah, I know the type. A passive predator if I ever saw one, a real jackal."

Surprised, Daniel smiled, then barked out a laugh. "God, you're good. You have him in one. He takes advantage of people in positions of weakness, like I was when Sarah broke up with me."

Jack moved closer to Daniel. "I've eaten predators like Raynor for breakfast for years, Danny. There's a lot of 'em in the military. But you don't really need me to keep him off of you, you know. You've learned a lot in your time with the SGC. You could whup that geek's butt easily now. Besides, one thing I have learned about you in the past five years, is that no one can make you do anything you don't want to do, not even me."

Daniel looked down, suddenly seeming shy. "I know I can put him off. But Jack, you do it with so much more panache than I do." His blue eyes moved up again to catch Jack's. "Besides, I think Steven suspects that you're my boyfriend, and he thinks that's why you came along with me."

Jack's scarred eyebrow went up. "Oh, yeah? Why? It's not like I'm hanging all over you or something." /Good. The creep'll think twice about bugging Danny if he thinks I'm a jealous lover. Why the hell doesn't it bother me that someone might think I'm screwing my best friend?/

"No, you're not doing that. I think it's more the jealously hovering protectiveness that's cued him in so wrongly." Again a small smile crossed Daniel's face.

"I've always done that, Daniel. It's just part of watching my team's six, ya know."

"I know, Jack. But Steven doesn't know that you're like that. And if you don't mind, I am not going to tell him differently, either, if it will keep his hands off me and on the artifacts." He looked up at his Colonel through his eyelashes, which Daniel knew was sure to get him his way. Jack *always* fell for the eyelash maneuver.

"Oh, he'll keep his hands off of you, Danny, or I'll break 'em for him. I won't let anyone harass my civilian consultant!"

Daniel snorted with amusement at Jack's possessiveness, reaching out to pat Jack's arm. He reached around the Colonel's body to grab the Chicago Cubs cap tucked in the back pocket of Jack's jeans and handed it to the older man. "Don't forget to wear your cap out there, Jack. Even inside the chambers, it's still pretty hot. We'll need sunscreen to do any outside work, as well." 

The archeologist turned and left the tent, his mind already turning towards the job that needed doing. The Colonel put his cap on and sauntered out, slipping on his shades as he left the tent and came out into the hot Egyptian sun. Maybe this trip wasn't going to be so bad after all. He could have lots of fun tormenting the arrogant Steven Raynor. It was obvious from what Daniel didn't say about his past that this dude had hurt him badly at some time or another.

* * *

"Jack, could you hold this flashlight, please?"

Jack rolled his eyes at Daniel's playful expression as the archeologist ordered his commanding officer around. "Sure Dr. Jackson. Anything to help move this along." Under his breath he added close to Daniel's ear, "I'll get my paybacks, Jackson, you just watch."

"Ooh, I just love it when you talk dirty." Daniel murmured back for Raynor's benefit.

"O'Neill, quit distracting Daniel! We need those panels translated before we can even begin to look at the other artifacts in situ."

Brown predator eyes targeted Raynor for a few seconds, causing him to back out of the burial chamber nervously.

"Jack, be good and stop trying to scare Steven." Daniel said absentmindedly. "And don't hold the flashlight so low, here." He shifted Jack's arm up and pulled his body closer to Daniel's own. "Hold it like this."

Jack found himself practically leaning over Daniel's shoulder after he was repositioned, close enough to get a whiff of the sweat and coffee smell of the younger man. A slight movement on the part of his archeologist caused Daniel's butt to brush against Jack's body. The Colonel felt himself fill to hardness in response to the friction, and he felt his face heat up in embarrassment. He tried to arch his lower body away from Daniel without his friend noticing. It worked, but only because Daniel was still lost in his translating.

/Shit, that could have been embarrassing. Though it's funny, but I swear Daniel has been flirting with me on this entire trip. Especially since we got to Egypt. He's enjoying taunting Raynor with me. Boy, didn't know just how nasty Danny can get until now for non- snakeheads. I kinda like it./

* * *

That night, after they had eaten a simple dinner, Daniel stood up and grabbed a flashlight from the table.

"Daniel, you going somewhere?"

He turned and said, "I'm just going for a walk, Jack. I love Egypt in the moonlight. Remember, I did spend my early childhood here. I'll see you back at the tent, okay?"

"Sure. Have fun."

Jack didn't like letting Daniel go alone, but he understood his friend's need for solitude. He had the same need, and met that need by going fishing alone or by climbing up to his rooftop deck and looking at the stars. The archeologist should be okay here at night alone. 

O'Neill cleaned his bowl, then headed over to the latrine tent and took a quick shower with the sun-warmed water that was provided. When he was done, he dressed in shorts and a t-shirt and went to see if Daniel had returned. 

The archeologist wasn't in their tent, so Jack figured he was probably caught up in something in the mess tent. Dr. Bel-Aziz was there working on putting some pottery shards together.

"Dr. Bel-Aziz, have you seen Daniel?"

"No, Colonel. He hasn't returned from his walk. Dr. Raynor went to find him a while ago, just to make sure he was all right."

/Shit! Daniel's alone with Raynor out there? Shit!/

"Did you see which direction Daniel went?"

"Yes. Over towards the deep northern wadi. I believe he took the trail to the top of the hill. The view is beautiful from there."

Jack nodded his thanks and headed out to find his friend. He didn't have to go as far as the trail up the hill, though. He'd only gone about a quarter mile when he heard voices raised in anger. Folding himself into the deep shadow of a boulder, Jack listened quietly to the conversation.

"I said no, Steven. I mean it."

"Come on, Daniel. We were good when we were together."

"Yeah, so good that you dumped me like a hot coal when my theories became unpopular. I learned then that we had nothing. I don't even like you, Steven, and I didn't really like you then, either."

"You little shit! You did too like me! I had you screaming in pleasure when I did you, and you know it."

"Well, you were certainly skilled at *that*. I'll give you that, Steven. But not so skilled that I'd bother getting together with you again. Thank goodness I've moved beyond you."

"Why you little..."

"I'm not so little any more Steven. You can't dominate me with your bigger size like you used to do. Now back off, before I do something you'll regret."

Jack heard the scuffle, and decided enough was enough. He moved towards the two wrestling shadows and grabbed both of them by the scruffs of their shirts.

"That's it, kids. Play time's over."

"Jack!"

"God damn it, O'Neill!"

"No. We're here to get a job done, and to do that, you two have to work together. Can it. Raynor, get lost. Daniel, stay here for a minute, will ya?"

Steven looked rather outraged to be treated like a recalcitrant child, but when he saw the other two men ignoring him, he turned and stormed off back to the tents.

"Daniel, I wasn't going to interfere, but I didn't want you to lose it and hurt that geek."

His archeologist's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You were afraid I would hurt *him*?"

"Yeah. You've got years of combat training under your belt Daniel. I didn't want to take the risk. Holding back when you know how to damage someone is its own skill, and you haven't had to learn it since you usually fight snakes to the death."

"Oh. Then thanks, I guess."

"No problem.

The end of the conversation should have signaled them to head back to camp. For some reason, though, Daniel just kept standing there staring at Jack. O'Neill found himself doing the same.

Daniel's hair looked dark in the moonlight and his body seemed to almost glow in the pale light. Fighting an almost overwhelming urge to move closer to him, Jack just stared.

"Jack, you're staring."

"Oh, sorry. It's just... you look... the moonlight..."

Now Daniel smiled and moved way into his commanding officer's personal space. "Jack, are you complimenting me?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so."

"Well thank you. You look pretty good in the moonlight yourself." He shrugged. "Hell, you look good to me all the time."

"I do? Why?"

"Oh, Jack, do you really not know?"

"Know what, Daniel?"

"This." Daniel moved in, put his arms around O'Neill, and pulled him into a kiss. The kiss was just a touching of lips, tentative and unsure. Finally he let Jack go.

"Uh, Daniel?"

The archeologist smiled gently. "Yes, Jack, I just kissed you. You didn't imagine it."

"Oh. Sweet!" Suddenly starving for another taste of Daniel, Jack lunged forward, grabbed the other man in strong arms, and kissed him. This was no tentative peck on the lips. The kiss O'Neill planted on Daniel was the embrace of a man who desperately needed closer contact with the man he loved.

After the two of them played with each other's tonsils for a while, Daniel pulled away a bit to catch his breath.

"How long, Jack?"

O'Neill knew that Daniel was asking how long Jack had been in love with him. The kiss Jack had laid on Daniel, the *starving* nature of it, had said it all. 

"Years." He said simply.

"So much wasted time! Come here, you!" This time, Daniel started running his hands down Jack's backside, pulling the Colonel's body closer so that he could feel the archeologist's erection pushing insistently against his thigh.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack, that's a hard-on you feel poking you, since I'm not wearing my sidearm. What are you going to do about it?"

The challenge in Daniel's voice almost caused Jack to laugh, but the insistent need in his own now aching dick stopped him.

"Let's go to the tent. Now. Don't want to do it here, too much sand."

Daniel chuckled. "You always did hate to get sand in certain places."

The two men walked back through the now quiet camp, not touching each other. Despite the lack of contact, they could feel a close to burning electricity between them. Jack was sweating freely despite the cool night air, fighting down surging bouts of panic as he walked. The Colonel was a practical man, though, and he knew when he was beaten. Hell, it had been too late for him after that first tentative kiss!

Once they were in the confines of the tent, Jack turned on the lantern and set it to low. He turned to Daniel, who hadn't moved from his position by the door flap.

"Danny?"

"God, as long as I've wanted this, can you believe that I'm scared to death?"

"Know what you mean. Me too."

Daniel moved over to his friend, looking into his brown eyes. "Jack, are you sure about this? Your career..."

"I've lost a wife and a child because of my fucking career, Daniel. That's a big enough price to pay for anyone in a lifetime. I won't lose my second chance at happiness. Hey, it won't be long before my body gives out, anyway, and I'll be forced to retire. Until then, well, we can be discrete." O'Neill let out a breath. "But I'll tell you, guy, I don't think I can wait another minute to have you."

Daniel smiled and stroked Jack's arm gently. When as a result of the touch, his big, bad Colonel shivered, he said with concern, "Have you ever..."

"Yes. But not for a very long time. I guess you can consider me a virgin, or close enough."

"Me too, actually. Steven was my last male lover."

"Don't mention that asshole's name here, between us, Danny, ya hear me?"

Daniel's cock hardened even more in response to Jack's jealous growl. "Okay." He reached over and pulled the other man's t-shirt up and out of his shorts. It was over Jack's head and on the ground the next second. The Colonel was rapidly losing his ability to speak as Daniel's hands unzipped his shorts and slipped them and his boxers down his legs. 

"Off. Now."

O'Neill toed off his shoes and stepped out of the clothes, the step putting him that much closer to Daniel and he growled, "My turn!" 

Within seconds Daniel stood in the lantern light naked. Jack looked him up and down, speechless for a few seconds as he took in his lover's beauty.

"Jack, please, say something."

"Glasses!" 

Daniel removed his glasses and tossed them onto his suitcase. Before he could completely turn back, he was grabbed in strong arms and squeezed until the breath was forced out of him.

Instead of complaining, the younger man enveloped Jack into just as tight a hug. When his erection brushed Jack's, it was Daniel's turn to shiver uncontrollably. Before he knew what was happening, Jack had him on a cot on his back with his tongue down Daniel's throat. The younger man shoved back against Jack and kissed hard in return. The kiss was brutal enough that Jack's lip got bloodied from Danny's teeth scraping it, and he felt himself almost ready to explode as he forcibly rutted against his archeologist's beautiful body.

The surprise touch of Daniel's warm hand on O'Neill's prick was enough to push him over the edge. He exploded all over himself and the hand that was now helpfully pumping up and down. It was only Daniel's mouth lodged over his own that kept him from screaming from the intensity of the orgasm. Daniel started rubbing his body frantically against Jack, and soon enough he could feel his lover shuddering as he climaxed. They held each other tightly as they each came down from their high, snuggling together on the narrow cot.

Before long, though, his young lover was hard again.

"Did it even go down?" Jack asked in admiration after feeling the hard thing poking his leg insistently.

"Barely. I've waited for this for so long, I'll probably be sporting a constant hard-on for a while, until I get used to it. Jack, I want to make love to you."

"I'm not going to be able to do it dry the first time, Danny. It's been too long for me."

"What can we use for lube then? I know, sunscreen!"

The archeologist was up and rummaging through his luggage, coming back in triumph with the Air Force green tube of sunscreen.

Daniel jumped on the cot and swooped onto his lover. "Turn over on your side with your leg up, like this and I'll spoon behind you. Great. Okay, I'm going to use my fingers first, to get you ready. Here comes number one." At the moment of penetration, Daniel licked Jack's neck lightly, surprising the Colonel.

"Oh... OH, Shit, Daniel, yeah, that's it! Ungnhhh!"

"How's that feel?" 

Daniel's finger went in and out slowly, crooking a little to hit Jack's prostate.

"Ungnhh!"

"I'll take it from that noise that I'm okay to put in a second one?"

"Yeah, more..."

Daniel pushed in a second finger, remembering to scissor his fingers to stretch Jack so he'd be able to take Daniel easier. 

Speech was beyond Jack as he pushed back, fucking the archeologist's fingers. Daniel let him have his fun, scissoring him all the while and stretching the tight ring of muscle.

"That's right, Jack, you like my fingers fucking you? They like you, you know that? The feel of you, so tight and warm and crushing..." He slipped a third one in, again making sure to hit just the right spot repeatedly. Finally, not being able to wait another second, he slipped the fingers out of Jack's butt.

"Are you ready for me, Jack?"

"Yes! Do it to me, Daniel!"

"Are you sure? Jack?"

"NOW, Jackson, don't you dare stop!" O'Neill was growling by then.

Daniel put sunscreen on his cock, pushed it up to Jack's opening, and hesitated.

"FUCK ME! Now, for god's sake, before I fucking explode!"

Quick and to the point, his first thrust went deep and moved against Jack's sweet spot, causing a moan and a shiver to cascade through the older man. Daniel again thrust into the tight wetness that was Jack.

"Gods, Jack, that feels, so..."

"Move, Daniel!"

The urgency and desperate need in his Colonel's voice made Daniel obey instantly. He started thrusting with a twist to his hip that made sure he hit his target every time he moved to fill his lover's body, again and again. The tightness of Jack clamping around him made him realize that he wouldn't be able to hold out for very long, and his moves increased in speed and frenzy. Strong muscles clamped over Daniel, and he bit down into Jack's back in order not to scream as he felt stars shooting up his spine from his groin. Daniel's vision grayed out as he exploded, his seed surging into Jack's body, warm and potent, and now Jack was HIS! 

For Jack, the warmth of Daniel's seed marking him inside was what pushed him over again. He pumped his prick once, twice, and suddenly came and came, as though he'd shoot out all that was left of his fluids in this one unbelievable climax. 

After a minute of collapse, Jack mumbled into the Egyptian cotton sheet, "Daniel? You okay?"

Daniel gently pulled out of his lover, kissing the shoulder where he had marked Jack with his teeth. "I'm fine. Are you? I didn't want to rush you, though you *seemed* like you liked it."

"God, I think you finally gave me a heart attack, Danny." 

"What a way to go, though. Come on, before you expire, let's go get a quick shower; we both stink. Afterwards, we can put the cots together and share.

Jack obliged, gasped at the now cold water cascaded over them both, washed Danny's back for him, and the two of them rushed back into the slightly warmer tent to snuggle under the blankets and sheets provided them.

* * *

O'Neill woke up to a heavy weight covering his body, his neck being tickled by both Daniel's breath and his hair. Danny was completely on top of Jack, using him as a six feet two inch body pillow. He smiled, despite the fact that his lover was crushing the Little Colonel. Daniel was no featherweight, that was for sure. From the little guy's reaction, he didn't seem to mind the weight at all, though Jack's full bladder didn't care for it much. The Colonel brought one arm up and stroked down his new lover's long body, smiling even wider. For lover was what Daniel was, and if Jack had anything to say about it, he would be his only lover for the rest of their lives. That is, if he could just somehow continue to convince this beautiful, brilliant, serious young man who could have anyone he wanted, that he wanted an old, broken down flyboy with baggage that was heavier that he was. 

"O'Neill, Daniel, get the hell up, we've got work to do!"

/Just what I didn't want to hear in the morning after I finally get to be with Daniel. This Raynor is seriously heading for a whupping if he keeps bugging me./

"Danny, time to get up."

"Mmmmmm."

Daniel merely burrowed deeper into Jack's neck in response.

"Hey, kid, we got snakes to discover, remember?" The thought of a new archeological discovery should wake him.

No dice. Knowing what his lover needed, Jack wiggled out from under him, slipped on his clothes, and headed out to find some coffee in the mess tent. They had some really strong Turkish style coffee brewing. 

/That coffee look's like tar! It should wake sleeping beauty up pretty good./ O'Neill ignored the nasty looks Raynor was throwing his way, and took the mugs back to their tent.

Back in the tent, Daniel was spread over both cots on his belly.

"Daniel. Wake up, guy, we have to get up now."

"Ja'k? Th't you?"

"Oh for crying out loud, to hell with this." He put the coffee under Daniel's nose, thinking that the smell might help wake him. Sure enough, the archeologist's nose started twitching like a rabbit's, his hand reached for the cup with almost automatic precision, and he said something that sounded like "gimme!"

The strong liquid in the cup disappeared like he had beamed it into his stomach, and he held out the empty. "More please?"

Jack had to grin. The blue eyes weren't even open yet! "Sure, Danny."

By the time the Colonel-turned-waiter had returned with a refill, the archeologist had turned over and slits of blue were beginning to show under the eyelashes and sleepy lids. 

/Ah, the beast stirs./

"We really have to work on your caffeine addiction, Daniel. You're not going to have a kidney left by the time you're forty." O'Neill said as the hand reached out and took the second cup for a repeat disappearance of the liquid.

"Jack? Where are... Oh, God!" Daniel's eyes got huge and no longer sleepy as he realized what they had done the night before.

"God didn't have anything to do with what happened last night, kid. Just you and me there." The Colonel said gently, a small smile on his lips and a bigger one in his eyes.

"You're not mad?"

Sitting down on the cot, Jack handed Daniel his own mug so the younger man could finish it off. "In shock, maybe, but not mad. Wondering what you want with a loser like me, more like."

"Jack, you aren't a loser. We'll talk about this later, okay? I'd better get up and let Steven know what I found in those carvings."

"Any snakes?"

"Maybe. There was a reference on one of the wall panels about Imhotep, the son of Isis and Osiris. But I'll need to read the burial lists in the scrolls before I know for sure if another Goa'uld is in stasis."

Daniel had been dressing as he spoke. He reached over and got his glasses and put them on, grabbed his hat, then turned to find himself pulled into Jack's arms for a quick kiss.

Afterwards, the archeologist smiled at his lover. "What was that for?"

"For being you."

"Oh, thank you. Come on, let's go face the wrath of Steven."

"Go get him, Jackson."

As they walked over to the tent, Daniel asked Jack, "What are we going to do if we do find out that another Goa'uld is in one of the canopic jars, Jack? We can't risk someone opening it and being taken as a host."

They were entering the tent as Jack answered, "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it." 

The Colonel fought a grin when Daniel came over with his bowl of porridge and moved so close to Jack that the archeologist practically sat on his lap at the table. Raynor looked like he was about to take a crap, his face looked so cross at the obvious affection between the other two men. O'Neill was good at reading men's faces, and he could tell that Steven Raynor wasn't jealous of Daniel and Jack because he cared for the archeologist. He was just pissed that Jack had moved in on someone Raynor thought of as his personal property.

"Steven, Hasim, the translations of the wall panels talk about Osiris and Isis, as well as one of their sons, Imhotep. I didn't see any reference to any certain person being buried there, though. This was obviously a rich burial, so it was probably a nobleman. I need to see the scrolls, especially the burial lists to find out any more. I'll prepare a translation for everything before I return to the States." Daniel added for Jack's benefit, "Fortunately for us, the ancient Egyptians were extremely methodical and detailed everything down to the last drop of myrrh." 

Daniel addressed the Egyptian archeologist next. "Hasim, does the Egyptian government plan to open any of the sealed canopic jars?"

The other archeologist thought about it a moment. "If the lists tell you there are only the usual mummified organs in the jars, I doubt if my government will bother to open them. To do so would destroy the contents."

"Will they want to do MRIs on them?"

"No, I don't think so, unless the lists mention something unusual. The expense to do those kinds of tests is prohibitive for the Egyptian government, considering how many canopic jars we have at the Museum of Antiquities."

"My government will be happy to offer the machines and personnel to perform any tests you three think are needed, but we would have to take the jars to the States to one of our military facilities."

Hasim seemed surprised and pleased at Jack's offer. "I of course would have to get my superiors' permission to let the artifacts leave my country. But I think they would probably welcome any help the United States could give. Thank you, Colonel O'Neill."

As they were walking to the dig, Steven caught up with Daniel and whispered, "What are you and O'Niell up to, Daniel, offering to do the MRIs on any sealed jars? What do you expect to find?"

"You remember we told you that we think Sarah might have encountered some type of ancient chemical in that jar she opened, something that might have affected her mind? We found the residue of something in the one whose seal was broken."

"Yeah. I didn't buy that explanation for a second."

"Well you should have, Steven, because it's the truth. It also explains some of the odd happenings among our predecessor Egyptologists, as well. If their teams were being impacted by some weird fumes, all sort of things could happen, like curses and such. Sarah certainly wasn't in her right mind. She told me she thought she was Osiris!"

"She always was a weird chick. I could never figure out what you saw in her."

They were approaching the burial rooms. "Let's leave off discussing old history Steven. I should be finished with the panels by lunchtime. I'll look at the scrolls afterwards."

A grunt was Steven's only response.

* * *

"Jack?"

O'Neill was snoozing when he heard Daniel call him. Instantly alert, brown eyes threat assessed the burial chamber even as he answered. "Yeah?"

"I'm done in here for now. It's almost lunchtime."

Getting up from where he'd been sitting, Jack stretched. "Any progress?"

"I think we might be safe. I only found the one mention of Imhotep. The lists will tell me for sure. This appears to be a burial dedicated to Osiris and Isis only. Apparently Ra put them into stasis for trying to rebel against him. There was never any myths that Imhotep rebelled, so Ra wouldn't have imprisoned him, I think."

"How come he didn't put them and their hosts into sarcophaguses like he did to Hathor?"

Daniel smiled. "Sarcophagi."

"Whatever."

"A sarcophagus is a valued technical instrument to the Goa'uld. It's the secret of their eternal life. I assume that Ra didn't mind preserving his queen's host in the sarcophagus that Hathor was found in, but I can't see him affording the same courtesy to lower level Goa'ulds like Osiris and Isis."

"I wonder how Ra got them out of their hosts."

"That's a good question, Jack. We'll have to ask the Tok'ra the next time we see them. I assume that the Goa'uld have the same device for removing the symbiote that the Tok'ra has."

Jack smiled and stood a little taller at Daniel's praise and the caressing look in his blue eyes.

* * *

Daniel had started settling himself in the mess tent to read the scrolls. Jack smiled at the look of anticipation on his archeologist's face, kind of like a kid in a candy shop.

"Danny, I'm going to take a walk away from here and contact the General on my cell for an update on our status, okay?"

The smile that his lover flashed him made Jack's heart expand to twice its size suddenly. The fact that Daniel so rarely smiled made it even more valuable to him. "Just make sure you wear your hat and sunscreen."

"Not much sunscreen left."

Daniel blushed and looked down at the scroll.

Raynor saw the smile Daniel flashed Jack as well as the blush that came next, and he just stared at the other archeologist in shock for a few seconds. 

Jack, feeling full of it all of a sudden, murmured to Raynor as he strutted by him towards the exit, "Bet *you* never made him smile like that, Raynor."

O'Neill was satisfied with the rage that overtook the other man's face after the comment. Furious and jealous to the max. Daniel, of course, was oblivious to the exchange, his head already buried in a moldy old scroll.

Jack really enjoyed being nasty to assholes. It made his day every time.

* * *

That night after they had made hot and furious love with Daniel as the bottom, the archeologist told his Colonel what he found.

"I'm afraid I spoke too soon, today, Jack. Imhotep did follow his parents in the rebellion against Ra, and I think he may be in one of the canopic jars like they were."

"Can you tell which one?"

"I think so. At least, I've got it narrowed down to two of them. I'll have to read the hieroglyphics on the jars to tell for sure."

"Shit! I was hoping we'd get out of this without the presence of any more snakes."

Daniel kissed Jack's neck, licking under his lover's chin for good measure. "I know. It sucks, doesn't it?"

"Can we break the seal and kill it?"

"We shouldn't, really. It belongs to the government of Egypt. It should be their decision to keep the seal or not."

"Daniel, they can't make an informed decision on this. They don't know the potential danger. And we can't tell them."

"I know. My reputation will suffer even more if I accidentally break the seal, but I guess I can live with that. Just as long as no more Goa'uld blend with anyone here on Earth." He yawned.

"Sleepy? What's the matter, did I work you too hard?"

Jack could feel Danny's smile against his neck. "You were the one who was napping against the wall today. I think I wore *you* out!"

"You sure did. Night, Danny." 

"Night, Jack."

"Daniel?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Daniel was quiet for a bit. "I love you too. I think I always have, despite my feelings for Sha're."

Feeling his heart swell again, Jack smiled in the darkness as he sensed his lover fall asleep in his arms.

* * *

"Daniel, be careful with that thing."

"I've been handling rare artifacts since I was five years old, Jack. I know how to do it."

"I'm not worried about you breaking it, Daniel. I'm worried about it getting out and taking you as a host."

"I'll be careful."

Daniel looked at the jar more closely. "Jack, this seal is already partially broken. That might mean the fluid has leaked out and the Gou'ald is dead like Isis was."

"Won't break my heart if it is. Here, let me look at it." Gingerly Jack took the jar from the archeologist. He gently squeezed the top, turned and pulled the stopper from the jar. With a squeal, Imhotep jumped out of the container and slithered up Jack's arm, heading for his neck. The Goa'uld moved fast, but not as blindingly fast as one of its species normally did. It was obviously sluggish either from the stasis fluid, or because it was ill from the lack of the fluid. Whatever the reason for the decreased speed, that and the quick actions of his lover saved Jack's sanity and perhaps his life that day.

Daniel didn't stop to think when he saw the snake slither up Jack's arm. He grabbed it's tail with both hands! Imhotep had just reached Jack's neck when Daniel ripped it off of him and started beating the screeching thing against the wall furiously.

"Danny, it's okay, let me have it. It's dead. Come on, guy, let me have it."

Jack's soothing voice finally filtered through Daniel's panic, and he allowed his lover to take the bloody pulp that had once been the god Imhotep from his shaking hands. Jack shoved the disgusting thing back into the canopic jar and twisted the lid down. Finally he wiped the green blood of the symbiote off of the top of the lid, put the artifact back down on the ground gently, and took a shaking Daniel into his arms.

"Hey, it's okay, love, it didn't get me. You saved me from it, Danny. Shhh, it's okay."

"God, Jack, it was so close! I might have lost you too." Daniel clutched his Colonel so tightly that Jack was having a difficulty catching his breath. But he didn't say a word, just let his lover hold him as tight as he wanted. He buried his nose in Daniel's neck, catching the scent of Daniel as he held him.

Finally, Jack said, "Well ya didn't lose me. I was careless, and put myself at risk needlessly. You saved me. Thank you."

Daniel pulled back and looked at Jack, his blue eyes moist with his relief. 

"You're neck, it's bleeding!"

"It's nothing. Just a couple of scratches. Come on, you okay?"

"No. God, let's get that thing out of there, cut it up so it's unrecognizable, and let's bury it deep, Jack. Otherwise I won't be sure it's dead."

Jack hesitated for about a second, until he saw how upset Daniel was. Finally he nodded, pulling out his commando knife from its sheath as he answered. "Okay, Daniel, anything you want. Let's just make sure it's chopped up enough that if it gets dug up, no one can tell what parts went where, okay?"

/The NID will probably be pissed when we don't pack this thing up and take it with us for them to study, but fuck them! If it will make Danny feel better to bury the sucker, then we'll bury it. Besides, after the beating the kid gave it, I don't think there is an intact bone left in its body./

They dug a deep hole for the dead Goa'uld in the dirt floor of the burial chamber, deep in a corner in the shadows. Filling it up afterwards, Daniel stamped down the disturbed dirt of Imhotep's grave until it was as hard packed as the rest of the ancient place. Since the corner wasn't exposed to the light, it would take an exceptionally aware archeologist to notice the slightly disturbed earth. Fortunately for Jack and Daniel, Steven Raynor was not that skilled of archeologist.

"We'll just tell Steven that it was empty." Daniel took off and used his black t-shirt to clean off the Goa'uld blood from the jar. "I'm sure he noted in his records that the seal was already broken, so we shouldn't take too much flak for that, either."

"Right." Jack was using his own t-shirt to absentmindedly wipe at the blood coming from his neck where the Goa'uld's pincers had cut. There were four small cuts at right angles to each other in a rather gory- looking x shape.

Daniel moved over to his lover, pulling Jack's hand away from the wound to look at it. "Come on, we need to treat your neck. Let's go get the first aid kit from the mess tent, and I'll take care of it. We'll say you cut yourself on a pottery shard, how does that sound?"

"Fine." Jack was beginning to go into low-level shock as how close this had been finally started to dawn on him.

Daniel treated his lover with iodine and an antibiotic cream, gave him a couple Tylenol, and went to Steven to explain that the seal on the jar had been broken and there was nothing in it. He also made his excuses and told the other archeologists that he wanted to return to Cairo to make sure Jack had proper treatment for his wound. Raynor grumbled, but he was obviously glad to see the back of his ex-lover and Daniel's psychotic special forces boyfriend as the jeep headed towards Cairo and a jet home.

* * *

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER:

Daniel and Jack had been called into the General's office.

"Colonel, Doctor Jackson, Doctor Steven Raynor has made an allegation against the two of you."

The two men sitting across the desk froze inside, realizing that somehow Steven must have outed them, or something.

"What did he say, General?" Jack said coolly. No trace of his fear showed in his face.

"He accused you of destroying the seal on one of the artifacts."

Daniel looked at Jack, his breath releasing in relief.

"We didn't see any other way, General, to render the Goa'uld Imhotep harmless to innocent people. Daniel knew that he'd get the blame for the seal being broken."

"I see. Even though you put yourselves at what I think was unnecessary risk, you two, considering the options, well..." The General hesitated. "I have to agree that it was inappropriate to bring the Goa'uld back on a commercial plane. Heaven forbid if that thing had gone through the x-ray in the security checkpoint. You did well, both of you."

"We aim to please, Sir."


End file.
